Perfectly spherical, like my testicles!

[Marcus78]

So I found this gem just now. Apparently, after untold millions of dollars were spent, scientists have concluded that electrons (one of the smallest particles known) are almost perfectly spherical. I can now sleep easy at night!

I don't know jack shit about quantum physics, but it seems like the effort/money expended on figuring out the electron is perfectly round would have been better spent on feeding the hungry, curing cancer or just about any other noteworthy cause! Bleh! Maybe I'm just pessimistic after too much work and booze.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/...er/?test=faces

[Rakhir]

Or perhaps this knowledge will lead to a greater understanding of the universe in toto. And that when the properties of the electron are understood it can be used in solving those problems of which you speak.

Try watching "Connections" sometime and perhaps you will understand how seemingly inconsequential discoveries build upon each other to create objects/processes we use everyday to enhance our lives.

[Budman]

You never know what discoveries this will lead to down the road. If you really want to get bent on money wasted on research check this out. I'm sure there are many more examples out there that are worse than this but this popped up first on google.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/oklah...ry?id=13689403

[Marcus78]

LOL Budman. That article is actually what led me to get drunkenly upset over the electron article. I read it earlier in the day, and couldn't believe that someone would spend so much to exercise shrimp! Then when the electron article came up, it was the straw which broke the drunk camel's back. If the project was privately funded 100%, I don't have a problem. People should be free to spend their money however they choose. I just think there are more immediate issues to address then measuring the size/roundness of infinitely small objects.